Chiropractor, Couple Indicted in Kidnaping

A wealthy Covina chiropractor and his secretary were indicted for their alleged roles in the kidnaping for ransom of a dental student in Mexico City in mid-June, U.S. Atty. Gary Feess announced Wednesday in Los Angeles.

The federal grand jury indictment charges Rolando Peralta, the chiropractor; Socorro Contreras, his secretary, and Rigoberto Herrera, Contreras’ boyfriend, with one count each of international hostage taking, conspiracy and extortion.

The indictment charges that Peralta arranged for the abduction of Maria Robleto, 22, from her car on the campus of University Technological School in Mexico City on June 15, in order to obtain a ransom from her mother, Indiana Robleto, a Maywood dentist.

Held Hostage 6 Days

According to the indictment, Maria Robleto was held hostage for six days at a remote location in Mexico until Peralta’s confederates, Contreras and Herrera, received $40,000 in ransom money and deeds to a Covina house and a vacant lot in Huntington Park. The indictment also charges that Peralta threatened to kill Indiana Robleto if she did not pay the required ransom.

Peralta has been held without bail since he was arrested June 22. After a lengthy hearing, U.S. District Judge James M. Ideman concluded that “there is no bail that will ensure the protection of the witnesses in this case . . . and the defendant, in this court’s opinion, poses a very definite threat to the community.” FBI agent Jack Page said at a hearing that Peralta owned several firearms.

During the hearing, Peralta, 51, said he was worth about $2 million. His lawyer Tony Brooklier said his client owned three restaurants,

Contreras is also being held without bail, and Herrera is free on $200,000 bail, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Carol Gillam.

Romantic Involvement

Asked why a wealthy chiropractor and restaurateur would want to kidnap someone, Gillam said that Peralta and Indiana Robleto had been romantically involved “and they had a bitter falling out.”

At the bail hearing, FBI agent Page said Indiana Robleto told him that she and Peralta had lived together for 2 1/2 years. He said she also told him that they had been involved in civil litigation over the two pieces of property that were part of the ransom payment.

At the bail hearing, transcripts of taped phone conversations between Indiana Robleto and Contreras, and between Indiana Robleto and Peralta were introduced to show that negotiations over the ransom money had taken place and that threats were made on Indiana Robleto’s life.

Robleto learned that her daughter was kidnaped on the night of June 16 when she received an anonymous phone call from Mexico to her apartment in San Dimas telling her that Maria had been abducted and to demand the payment of money to “Rolando,” according to the indictment. Soon thereafter, according to FBI agent Page, Indiana Robleto called the FBI and Page began working on the case, arranging for her phone calls to be tapped.

Money Demanded

The next day, according to the indictment, Peralta called Robleto and told her she should pay him $140,000 and he would attempt to locate her daughter.

During a series of negotiations, it was arranged that she would pay Peralta $40,000 and turn over the two deeds, according to the indictment. On June 21, Contreras and Herrera met with Robleto at her dental office and took the $40,000 ransom money and the deeds to the two properties. Later that day, Maria Robleto’s captors freed her and put her on a bus bound for Mexico City.

Gillam said that Peralta and Contreras were arrested the following day, after it had been determined that Maria Robleto was safe. She said that Maria Robleto, while still enrolled in school in Mexico City, “is having a difficult time recovering.”

The Times was unable to reach attorneys for any of the defendants.

A conviction under the hostage-taking count of the indictment carries a possible sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The extortion count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.